


Empathy

by AshsHorrorShow



Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: BerryLion is More or Less Just Implied, Empathy, F/M, Friendship, Gen, Grief, Guilt, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Takes Place Right After Sunrise, can be read as platonic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-25
Updated: 2018-01-25
Packaged: 2019-03-09 04:59:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13474188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshsHorrorShow/pseuds/AshsHorrorShow
Summary: Who knew comfort could come in the form of Berrynose for Lionblaze?





	Empathy

Lionblaze sat in the camp clearing, grief swamping his heart. Most of his Clanmates had long since departed, sadly returning to their nests to go to sleep. Though there were a few cats still out and about, continuing their sad vigil over their lost campmate. On the other side of the camp, Cinderheart was pacing sadly back and forth, her friend, Hazeltail, murmuring comforting words to her. Lionblaze knew Cinderheart and his sister had been close friends, so she must be taking Hollyleaf’s sudden death pretty hard. 

A little earlier, Squirrelflight and Leafpool had sat together solemnly before they too had separated for the night. He had seen Squirrelflight make a move towards Jayfeather and him, as if she wanted to walk over and comfort them or say something, but all it took was him throwing one glare her way to make her change her mind and slink away. Part of him felt cold-hearted for doing that, but he really did not want to talk to her at the moment. Not after all of the lies she told and trouble she helped cause. 

So much had happened in the past few moons: his mentor, Ashfur, trying to burn Jayfeather, Hollyleaf, and him to make Squirrelflight suffer. Squirrelflight revealing that she and Brambleclaw weren’t their real parents, but that, instead, they were the children of Crowfeather, a WindClan tom, and Leafpool, a ThunderClan medicine cat. Ashfur winding up dead shortly afterwards because of Hollyleaf. Hollyleaf then telling the truth about their conception to everyone at the Gathering before trying to later murder Leafpool with deathberries. All of it culminating to Hollyleaf finally running away and getting herself killed in the tunnels. 

The thought made his throat tighten. That last screech Hollyleaf had released before the tunnel collapsed haunted his mind. It had been so full of fear and terror. Not that he blamed her. Being buried alive was a horrible way to go. He had almost been buried alive himself once, along with Breezepelt. He remembered the dirt filling up his nose and the crushing weight of it on his back. He shuddered, trying to push that particular thought out. 

Part of him kept replaying their last confrontation together, trying to figure out what he could’ve done differently. Perhaps if he had said something or done something beforehand, perhaps Hollyleaf would still be there. Maybe he should’ve let Jayfeather try to grab her. He had stopped his brother at the time, not wanting to risk losing two siblings, but maybe that was what lead to Hollyleaf’s death. Perhaps Jayfeather would’ve been fast enough to grab her. Maybe if Lionblaze helped, they would’ve both been able to pull her back and save her life. Perhaps if he had done that he would still have a sister by his side and the prophecy wouldn’t have been crushed and buried along with her. 

He shook his head. It was no use thinking this way. He couldn’t change the past or the fact that Hollyleaf was dead. All he could do was sit here and grieve over a body they couldn’t recover. 

Jayfeather had returned to his nest a while ago, saying that he had to remove Leafpool’s nest now that she had officially retired from being a medicine cat. Lionblaze had nodded at the time, but he had the sneaking suspicion that Jayfeather just wanted to grieve alone. His brother had always been a bit awkward about being emotional around other cats. While part of him wanted to allow Jayfeather to have a chance to come to terms with his emotions, another part of him wished the tom had stayed, because without his brother pressed up against his side, he felt more lonely than ever, his sad thoughts being his only company. 

He glanced up at the starry night sky, wondering if Hollyleaf was up there looking down on him, when suddenly, he flinched at the feeling of a paw tapping him on the shoulder. Jerking around, he was surprised to see Berrynose looking at him. 

Lionblaze half-expected the cream-colored tom to make a joke at his expense about the flinch, but instead, Berrynose looked a little awkward, flattening his ears and murmuring a quick, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” 

Lionblaze shook his head, quickly ensuring, “It’s fine, I was just… lost in thought.”

Berrynose nodded. Shifting his paws anxiously in the sand, he murmured, “I am sorry about your sister. I couldn’t imagine losing Mousewhisker or Hazeltail. Losing Honeyfern had been hard enough.” Lionblaze caught the way the tom’s voice caught a little at the mention of the she-cat.

Lionblaze nodded, murmuring, “Both Honeyfern and Hollyleaf were good cats. They didn’t deserve to die so young.”

Berrynose glanced back at the warriors den and said, “But if Poppyfrost, Daisy, and my siblings have taught me anything, it’s that your Clanmates will always be there for you during your hardest times and will always help you get back on your feet.”

‘Who else do I have?’ Lionblaze wanted to bitterly ask, thinking of all of the cats he once thought he knew and trusted who ended up betraying him, but he held it back. Hollyleaf’s funeral should not be a time to think of grudges. So instead, he just murmured a vague agreement and kept silent.

He had expected Berrynose to pad away then, but the tom instead continued to sit by his side, and Lionblaze was beginning wondering what the tom wanted. After all, it was not like Berrynose and Hollyleaf had been exactly close. He didn’t even know if he would call Berrynose a close friend of his, either. 

He was about to ask what exactly he wanted when Berrynose suddenly said, “By the way, just know that I am here for you and I don’t judge you. For any of it.”

Lionblaze blinked in shock and confusion. What?

“What are you talking about?” Lionblaze mewed, cocking his head. Berrynose had always been a weird cat, but this was unusual even for him. 

Berrynose actually looked flustered, an expression Lionblaze never thought he’d see on the normally cocky tom’s face. Licking his chest fur down, Berrynose quickly mumbled, “Well, obviously, I am here if you want to talk about Hollyleaf and stuff. That should be obvious. But I was also referring to what, um… got revealed at that Gathering? About you being Half-Clan? Cats will probably whisper about you and Jayfeather for a while.”

“I don’t care what other cats think,” Lionblaze said flatly, suddenly wanting this conversation to be over. 

Berrynose quickly said, “Of course, of course. But I want to make it clear I don’t think you less as my Clanmate just because your Half-Clan or the son of a medicine cat. Or, er, former medicine cat, anyway.” Berrynose flicked an ear awkwardly at the last line. 

“Okay?” Lionblaze said in confusion, not knowing where this is coming from. He wasn’t used to having a conversation with Berrynose that didn’t resort to them just bragging to one another. “Why are you telling me this?”

Berrynose went silent again for a second, scuffling his paws in the dirt before he mumbled something.

Lionblaze flicked his ear, not catching what the tom said. “Excuse me?”

“Because you used to defend me and my siblings when cats gave us a hard time about being a loner, alright?” Berrynose hissed, his fur fluffing out in frustration and embarrassment. 

Suddenly it was all coming back to Lionblaze. Back when they had been apprentices, it was not uncommon for other Clan apprentices, or heck, sometimes even some of the ThunderClan apprentices, to give Berrynose, Mousewhisker, and Hazeltail a hard time, always feeling the need to remind them that they were kittypets. Being part kittypet himself, and not liking seeing his Clanmate abused, Lionblaze had always stood up for the three. He had just thought it was a simple act, but apparently it had meant a lot more to Berrynose than he originally thought. 

“Oh, that. It was no problem, it was just the right thing to do. You three are my Clanmates after all.”

Berrynose nodded, “Right, just like you are mine. As far as I see it, being part of a Clan should be based on how well you serve your Clan. Merit, not birth.” He said the last part with another nod, finalizing it. Berrynose then proceeded to say, “I just wanted to let you know. And I know I am not the only one who feels that way!” 

Lionblaze couldn’t help but smile despite himself. Honestly, the possibility of cats judging him for being Half-Clan had been the least of his worries, but he supposed it was nice to hear this. Purring lightly, he said, “Thanks, Berrynose.” 

Berrynose quickly nodded before he stood. Ducking his head, Berrynose quickly mewed, “Now don’t go expecting such sappy words from me ever again, Lionblaze.” Then with that he began padding away, no doubt to probably return to Poppyfrost back in the warriors den.

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Lionblaze mewed after him, tail twitching in amusement. 

He looked up at the sky once more. He honestly didn’t know where life was going to lead him now, but he supposed it was nice to know that he had at least one Clanmate who would stick by his side through thick and thin.

**Author's Note:**

> Alternate Title for this: Being Gay at a Funeral.
> 
> BerryLion has always been kind of a rarepair of mine. Also, I wanted to touch in on the grief Lionblaze (and Jayfeather, but he wasn't really part of this story, shhh) felt about thinking they lost their sister. Sunrise barely touched on it and I kind of felt like that was a big disservice to Hollyleaf so I decided to fix that. I also thought about how Lionblaze, Jayfeather, and Hollyleaf used to get mad at kittypet accusations to Firestar and all of them... so I figured it's not too far-fetched that Lionblaze would stick up for Berry, Hazel, and Mouse if they were being bullied.
> 
> As always, critique is wanted and I hope you enjoyed.


End file.
